Input apparatus and manufacturing method of input apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10712890-B2
Application number	US-201916515987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

An input apparatus includes a sensor film having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, the first curved surface being light-transmissive and provided in a detection area in which a sensor is formed, the second curved surface being provided in a non-detection area other than the detection area and having a radius of curvature smaller than a radius of curvature of the first curved surface; a resin layer provided on the sensor film and formed of a material containing a light-transmissive resin; and an extension-suppression layer provided in the detection area in the sensor film, the extension-suppression layer suppressing an extension amount of the detection area in the sensor film to be smaller than an extension amount of the non-detection area in the sensor film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input apparatus having a detection area in which a sensor is formed and a non-detection area other than the detection area, the input apparatus comprising:
a sensor film including:
a first curved portion corresponding to the detection area, the first curved portion being light-transmissive and having a first radius of curvature; and
a second curved portion corresponding to the non-detection area and having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature;

a resin layer provided over the sensor film and formed of a material containing a light-transmissive resin; and
an extension-suppression layer provided on the first portion of the sensor film, the extension-suppression layer suppressing an extension of the sensor film such that an amount of extension of the first curved portion is smaller than an amount of extension of the second curved portion of the sensor film,
wherein the sensor film includes a light-transmissive base in a form of a film, and extends over the entire detection area and the entire non-detection area of the resin layer,
and wherein the extension-suppression layer extends over the entire detection area but only part of the non-detection area without reaching the second curved portion of the sensor film, whereby the amount of extension of the first curved portion of the sensor film is adjusted by at least one of a material of the extension-suppression layer and a thickness of the extension-suppression layer.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor film has:
a first surface formed as a convex curved surface; and
a second surface opposite to the first surface,

wherein the resin layer is provided on the first surface, and
wherein the extension-suppression layer is provided on at least one of the first surface and the second surface.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor film has:
a first surface formed as a convex curved surface; and
a second surface opposite to the first surface,

wherein the extension-suppression layer is provided on the second surface, and
wherein the resin layer is provided on the extension-suppression layer over the second surface of the sensor film.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the extension-suppression layer is formed of a same material as a material of the base.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the extension-suppression layer has a thickness equal to a thickness of the base.

6. A method for manufacturing an input apparatus having a detection area in which a sensor is formed and a non-detection area other than the detection area, the method comprising:
forming a sensor film having a light-transmissive base in a form of a film, the sensor film including a first portion corresponding to the detection area and a second portion corresponding to the non-detection area;
forming an extension-suppression layer on the first portion of the sensor film, the extension-suppression layer suppressing an extension of the sensor film such that an amount of extension of the first portion is smaller than an amount of extension of the second portion of the sensor film; and
forming a resin layer on the sensor film by inserting the sensor film with the extension-suppression layer formed thereon into a mold, and then pouring a material containing a light-transmissive resin into the mold,
wherein the forming the resin layer includes:
deforming the first portion of the sensor film into a first curved portion having a first radius of curvature; and
deforming the second portion of the sensor film into a second curved portion having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature,

wherein the sensor film extends over the entire detection area and the entire non-detection area of the resin layer,
and wherein the extension-suppression layer extends over the entire detection area but only part of the non-detection area without reaching the second curved portion of the sensor film, whereby the amount of extension of the first curved portion of the sensor film is adjusted by at least one of a material of the extension-suppression layer and a thickness of the extension-suppression layer.

7. The method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the sensor film has a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface,
wherein in the forming the extension-suppression layer, the extension-suppression layer is provided on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, and
wherein in the forming the resin layer, the resin layer is provided on the first surface of the sensor film which is formed as a convex curved surface.

8. The method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the sensor film has a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface,
wherein in the forming the extension-suppression layer, the extension-suppression layer is provided on the second surface, and
wherein in the forming the resin layer, the resin layer is provided on the extension-suppression layer over the second surface, while the first surface is formed into a convex curved surface.

9. A method for manufacturing an input apparatus having a detection area in which a sensor is formed and a non-detection area other than the detection area, the method comprising:
forming a sensor film having a light-transmissive base in a form of a film, the sensor film including a first portion corresponding to the detection area and a second portion corresponding to the non-detection area;
forming an extension-suppression layer on the first portion of the sensor film, the extension-suppression layer suppressing an extension of the sensor film such that an amount of extension of the first portion is smaller than an amount of extension of the second portion of the sensor film; and
forming, by heating the sensor film, the first portion into a first curved portion having a first radius of curvature, and the second portion into a second curved portion having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature;
forming a resin layer on the sensor film by inserting the sensor film with the extension-suppression layer formed thereon into a mold, and then pouring a material containing a light-transmissive resin into the mold,

wherein the sensor film extends over the entire detection area and the entire non-detection area of the resin layer,
and wherein the extension-suppression layer extends over the entire detection area but only part of the non-detection area without reaching the second curved portion of the sensor film, whereby the amount of extension of the first curved portion of the sensor film is adjusted by at least one of a material of the extension-suppression layer and a thickness of the extension-suppression layer.

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashida Junji

Classifications

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• B32B2307/412

  Transparent · CPC title